Tag Archives: Nfl

NOTE: Terry Collins told Jenrry Mejia to tone it down several hours after this post.-JD

Count me among those not enamored with the post-game celebration of New York Mets closer Jenrry Mejia, who went over the top with his reel-him-in gesture after striking out Ian Desmond to end last night’s game.

Watching Mejia was watching any NBA player thump his chest and mug for the camera’s after dunking on a defender. It was watching almost any receiver or cornerback in the NFL.

It was a reminder of how class is a fleeting thing in sports. We see self-congratulatory celebrations everywhere, and we see them because that’s what the networks like to direct their cameras. And, don’t think for a moment the athlete doesn’t know where the camera is directed.

And, it’s tiresome.

Also tiring are the weak defenses by managers and coaches.

“You’ve got to have some emotion in the game,’’ Terry Collins said last night. “We see it everywhere. I see other teams doing it. They can get mad, if it gives them more adrenaline. I want these guys to have some fun. I don’t want to corral them and worry about every move they make.’’

I’d like to hear Collins take that view when somebody gestures toward his team.

Fact is, Collins must stick up for his players in large part because of his lame duck status. If the Mets and Collins both knew he’d be back, perhaps he’d be more apt to kick butt.

I confess to being old school, maybe too old, but that’s what I believe. There’s a difference between having fun and mocking your opponent.

Trouble is not too many players see the difference and the line is continually blurred for the fans, also.

A new era in baseball is upon us after the owners today unanimously approved expansion of instant replay at their meetings in Arizona. Considering the constant criticism of umpiring today, I’m all for this decision.

It might have to be modified somewhat in the number of challenges allowed to managers, or even if the decision to review might come from an umpire in the replay center, similar to how replays are automatically reviewed in the NFL after scoring plays and turnovers.

Currently managers are allowed only one challenge through the first six innings. After that, the umpires would initiate the challenges. If the umpires can challenge after the seventh inning, then why not before then?

Of all sports, baseball might be the most conducive to replay because much of the action is located at fixed positions, such as the bases and plate, the outfield fences and foul lines.

In addition to home runs, replay will be applied to:
• Ground-rule double

• Fan interference

• Stadium boundary calls

• Force play*

• Tag play

• Fair/foul in outfield only

• Trap play in outfield only

• Batter hit by pitch

• Timing play

• Touching a base (requires appeal)

• Passing runners

• Record keeping

What won’t be reviewable is the “neighborhood plays’’ at second base, which really would be the easiest to review.

MLB executive and former manager Tony LaRussa, who helped design the new system, estimated up to 90 percent of potential calls are reviewable.

One of the potential flaws in this system is managers could use challenges as a way to stall for time to allow a reliever to get ready in the bullpen. However, managers have found ways to stall for over 100 years, so perhaps that’s not such a big deal in the long run.

What I’m not crazy about is limiting the number of challenges, because after all, there could be more than one play that is close enough to be reviewed.

Given that, I wouldn’t mind having the umpire crew in the replay center in New York, buzzing the crew chief to say a play is under review.

However, this is better than what we’ve had in recent years.

Your comments are greatly appreciated and I will attempt to respond. Follow me on Twitter @jdelcos

The New York Mets appear to have a prize in Matt Harvey. However, after reading the Men’s Journal story I had to wonder. He couldn’t have meant what he was quoted as saying, could he?

As far a being a Derek Jeter-wannabe, the context was strictly in the pursuing female sense, and as you know, the Yankee shortstop has a bit of a reputation. But, he is Teflon and nothing sticks to him. Harvey doesn’t have that, yet. He may never have it, but at least he’s proving he has the smarts to enter damage control.

HARVEY: Damage control alert.

Today, Harvey came out with this tweet: “It really sucks how words get used and completely taken out of context.’’

Yes, it does.

I don’t doubt it is an accurate quote, as these style interviews are usually recorded, but in reading the article there was precious little set-up as to the context of the quote. There didn’t appear to be an effort on the writer’s part to create the scene or ask a follow-up for clarification. It came off as a “money quote,’’ so let’s run with it.

And, if Harvey did try to clarify on the spot, there was no mention there, either.

Harvey isn’t yet a grown man, but he’s getting there. His determination on the mound and work ethic is admirable. It is what franchises want to build around. But, he’s still a young man learning on the fly.

Harvey is having a dream season and appears to love the trappings of being a young star in New York, arguably the best and worst city, in which to be a star. A tip off is having the tabloids chase him around town for photos of him kissing his girlfriend.

Hooray for his model girlfriend, who couldn’t have been happy reading the quotes. Maybe it was after hearing it from her he went into damage control, the way he bears down with runners in scoring position.

I am glad Harvey is trying to rectify things because being a hound isn’t a reputation he really wants. That is, unless he doesn’t mind the whispers or cares about the consequences. If nothing else, if he wants to prowl, at least carry a bullpen in his wallet, or as some athletes and celebrities are doing, carry a pre-sex contract.

It’s Harvey’ love life and he can do what he wants with it, but he would be prudent to calm things down a bit. Harvey isn’t Joe Namath, Walt Frazier or Jeter, for that matter. Not yet, anyway.

NFL great Jim Brown said nothing good happens after midnight, and it is true, especially if one is clubbing in New York. There are those that will always want a part of him, those with a cell phone camera, and athlete-hunting females. Stalking might be a better word.

If somebody on the Mets hasn’t already, they should tell him to tone it down. Somebody always wants a piece of a popular jock, and as composed as he appears on the mound, he’s shown vulnerability off it.

Personally, I don’t care whom Harvey sleeps with or what he drinks. I don’t care as long as it doesn’t interfere with his performance on the mound. So far, it hasn’t. Hopefully, he’s learned something here.

The Jimmy Fallon piece was hilarious, but it won’t be long before that anonymity is lost. And, after midnight is when he’s most likely to lose it.

As always, your comments are greatly appreciated and I will attempt to answer them. Please follow me on Twitter @jdelcos

Call it a hunch, but I believe David Price on this one with his beef with umpire Tom Hallion, which again leads us to the issue of the “umpire problem,’’ in Major League Baseball.

As he walked off the mound to end the seventh inning yesterday, Price and Hallion exchanged words, and the pitcher said the umpire told him “to throw the ball over the f—– plate.’’

HALLION: Has to walk away.

Hallion denied it and called Price a liar.

Later, as all athletes do these days, Price took to Twitter: “1. I am not a liar 2. I would not make that stuff up 3. My own dad doesn’t speak to me that way 4. Again I am not a liar. #accountability.’’

The quality of umpiring has long been an issue, and along with it the umpire’s sensitivity to criticism. The rub is they are too confrontational and have rabbit years, meaning they don’t let things slide and seek out an argument. It is as if they are looking for a fight.

The umpire is supposed to be the one who is objective and calm, so why was it necessary for Hallion to yell at Price from a distance? Walk up to him calmly and say your piece. Or, better yet, ignore it and realize that with players there’s going to be emotional displays of frustration, with not all of it directed at the umpires.

Major League Baseball is enjoying unmatched financial revenues so it can afford to make improvements in his area that should reduce the tensions between the players and umpires, and more importantly, get it right. There’s ways to make this a less adversarial relationship, at least on the surface.

Let’s start with instant replay. I concede they’ll never have replay on balls-and-strikes, but there’s no reason not to use it for more than just home run calls. Unlike football, the baseball action is primarily focused on fixed locations like the foul lines, outfield wall and bases.

It is absurd not to take advantage of the high-definition technology. Have a representative from MLB in the pressbox, or have the video examined in a central location like the NHL does for its replays or the networks have for their “instant replay’’ expert on the NFL telecasts.

Finally, all umpires should be have microphones they can’t control so exchanges like the one Price and Hallion had can be properly evaluated and eliminate the “he said, he said,’’ issue.

A miked-up Hallion would tell us instantly who is telling the truth, and perhaps more importantly, prove a deterrent to umpires compelled to interject themselves into the emotions of the game.

One of the true beauties of sport is the ability to generate conversation and debate. Before we dive head first into baseball let’s take one more swipe at the Super Bowl, which will go down in history as one of the most compelling in history.

What I root most for in watching games – regardless of sport – are interesting story lines and close games. Yesterday’s game hit on both counts.

As I wrote yesterday, I didn’t have a dog in the fight, but leaned toward San Francisco because of my Cleveland roots. I didn’t waiver, but found myself happy for Joe Flacco because of the heat he’s taken, some of it from his own team.

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While Flacco is easy to root for, Jim Harbaugh is the opposite.

Harbaugh went from hard to root for to almost impossible to root for because of his whining. After saying he wanted to handle things with class, he proceeded to rip the officiating. Although he was right on that last non-call – it was holding – be gracious and congratulate your brother. Not a lot of warmth in that post-game handshake.

Brother John said he thought his brother is the best coach in the NFL and would be honored to work for him. He also said he loved him. Jim said no such thing. I wonder if Jim will truly be happy for John?

That was a horrible non-call, and I can’t stand that term. “That was a good non-call,’’ said Phil Simms, who praised the officials for “not making a call late in the game.’’ I normally like Simms, but he’s as off-target on this one like a Mark Sanchez pass. Huh? If it is holding, it is holding whether on the first play of the game or the last. What is it? Then call it. I bet he wouldn’t have been that forgiving had he been throwing the ball.

That wasn’t the only bad call in the game. As a matter of fact, two Ravens were caught holding on that play. They were also holding on the kickoff return. And, how does Cary Williams not get thrown out of the game for shoving a ref? He later went on to make several key plays, including tipping a pass in the end zone.

There were numerous other blown calls that cost both teams. It isn’t like the 49ers got screwed; both teams were affected. Like, how about a late hit on Flacco wasn’t called?

I heard a lot about the officials “letting them play,’’ which is garbage. Your job as an official is to call the game, not arbitrarily decide how the game should be played. It is like an umpire’s “personal’’ strike zone. Rules are rules, so enforce them.

That being said, I don’t want to hear how the officials cost the 49ers the game. They had a 300-yard passer, two 100-yard receivers and a 100-yard rusher, yet still lost the game. I wonder how many times that has happened. The bottom line is when you score 31 points, you should win the game. The 49ers defense and special teams were horrid, and Jim Harbaugh was outcoached by his brother, John Harbaugh.

Outclassed, too?

Jim Harbaugh inexplicably abandoned the running game at the end, despite Frank Gore’s success in the game and on that drive. Harbaugh, as a former quarterback, should know timeouts are more precious than five yards.

Colin Kaepernick burned a timeout earlier rather than take a penalty, and as the clock ticked down on that final drive, Harbaugh screamed for a timeout rather than take the penalty, despite the five yards possibly helping the receivers maneuver easier around the end zone.

As far as Kaepernick is concerned, he came alive in the second half, but clearly was unnerved early in the game. As Kaepernick struggled, I was somewhat surprised – considering the score – not much was made by Simms on going to Alex Smith. Bill Cowher mentioned it at halftime, but Simms threw an incompletion there.

And, about that safety at the end of the game, there was blatant holding there, but I’m not totally buying it meant nothing because a penalty in the end zone still results in a safety. However, had the penalty been called it there might have been more time on the clock for maybe one more play.

And, who wouldn’t have wanted one more play from a game like last night’s?